SA Power Networks Confirms 5kW Inverter Limit For South Australia

December 7, 2017 2019-06-06T12:22:37 by 74 Comments
new rules

Installing solar in SA after 1 December 2017? Here’s what you need to know…

SA Power Networks Makes Radelaide Sadelaide

It’s December and the latest rules for connecting rooftop solar to the grid in South Australia are now available from SA Power Networks (SAPN).  I called them late last month to try and get a scoop on what they were planning, but no luck there — SAPN play their cards close to their chests.

So first thing on Friday morning I checked their website and found no change from November.  But that’s okay, I completely understand.  I know there are times people will say they’ll get things done by Friday but actually get them in first thing Monday morning.  Or possibly three weeks later.  That also happens.

But now they’ve had a whole week now to catch up and I see there have been some changes on their site.  There is movement at the station and I’m passing the word around.  The colt from old Regret has got away…

If you can’t be bothered to read this whole post then here’s what you need to know about installing solar in SA from 1 December 2017: [Read more…]

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South Australia Is Actually Second Cheapest State For Household Electricity

May 3, 2017 2024-01-02T15:45:46 by 14 Comments
Malcolmnocchio

Not true Malcolm! A typical house in SA pays less per kWh for electricity than any other state except NSW.

Grid electricity is not cheap in South Australia.  Here in Adelaide it’s never a happy time when I get an electricity bill.  My last quarterly bill was $203 for 389 kilowatt-hours of use.  All up, that means I paid over 52 cents for each kilowatt-hour of grid electricity. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Electricity Prices Tagged With: ,

The ‘SA Energy Crisis’ Is A Myth Peddled By Liars

April 26, 2017 2017-04-27T15:07:59 by 14 Comments
protesting crowd

If you repeat a message long and loud enough many people will accept it as true.

At the start of the month I wrote that South Australia’s grid was in disarray.  I warned that more blackouts were inevitable as soon as summer rolled around again or adverse weather struck.

With my warning I wanted to give people a sense of perilous urgency on the need to do something about the dilapidated state of the grid that we depend upon for our jobs, our well being, and civilization itself.

But that was on April Fools Day.

I wasn’t serious. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: ,

Tindo Solar, Australia’s Only Solar Panel Manufacturer, Bought By SA’s Cool or Cosy

March 23, 2017 2017-04-25T12:06:30 by 24 Comments
tindo solar

Tindo Solar is now owned by SA company ‘Cool or Cosy’.

Tindo Solar, Australia’s only manufacturer of Solar panels has been bought by South Australia’s insulation, solar installation, and energy efficiency company Cool or Cosy.

The deal was announced on… Well actually, it hasn’t been announced yet1.  But since I’m from Queensland, obviously I know Julian Assange, so you can trust me to know all the secrets. [Read more…]

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Billionaire’s Gambit – Why we should accept Musk’s offer.

March 14, 2017 2017-04-18T14:40:15 by 44 Comments

deal

Last Thursday in a trendy re-purposed Substation near Melbourne, Elon Musk’s cousin Lyndon Rive claimed he could solve SA’s energy woes in 100 days.

How?

By installing 100-300MWh of batteries.

Big Call.

A day later, via Twitter, Aussie tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes asks Musk if he’s serious about “100MW1” of batteries in 100 days. Musk wagers he’ll deliver and install them in 100 days or it’s free. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Battery Storage Tagged With: ,

The Billionaire’s Gambit – Why we should politely decline.

March 13, 2017 2024-01-25T13:16:39 by 31 Comments

 

Note from Finn:

This post is Ronald’s considered opinion of Elon Musk’s offer. My personal opinion (with caveats) is that we should accept the offer. I’ll publish a post later today with my reasoning.

 

Elon Musk has offered to sell South Australia large scale Tesla battery storage of 100 megawatt-hours or more.  He says it will cost $250 US dollars at the “pack level” per kilowatt-hour which is around $333 at today’s exchange rate.  What’s more, he has promised it will be installed within 100 days of the contract being signed or it’s free.

This may be the best offer that has ever been made for large scale lithium battery storage.  But despite the small chance we would get it for free, I think our reply should be a polite, “No thank you.”

South Australia doesn’t need a large amount of battery storage to solve its current electricity supply problems and so there are better alternatives to spend the money on.  If in the future it turns out it would be useful we can get it then and it should be even cheaper. [Read more…]

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Blackouts In SA While Generators Stand Idle & Politicians Bicker

February 10, 2017 2017-04-18T14:53:51 by 15 Comments
Barnaby Joyce Coal Heatwave

Joyce titters, Weatherill gets mad, Australia cooks.

Late on Wednesday afternoon, in the middle of a heatwave, electricity was cut off to roughly 90,000 Adelaide properties for around 45 minutes.

Because I have access to a working TV at the moment1 I have seen an implausible number of people shitting bricks over this incident.  So many bricks I could use them to build a Great Wall of South Australia.  I’m sure it would be effective at keeping foreigners out.  After all, who’d want to enter a state surrounded by shitty bricks?

To all the people who are acting like this is some sort of unprecedented event2, I have to ask which bloody country do you live in?  Rolling blackouts during heatwaves in Australia are not uncommon and have occurred in every mainland state, including those that are almost entirely powered by coal.

But for those who are complaining for the right reasons, your anger is bloody well justified. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Electricity Prices Tagged With: ,

Australian Politicians Confuse Wind Power And Powerful Winds

September 29, 2016 2017-04-18T15:34:30 by 14 Comments
wind vs wind power

Which of our elected politicians can tell the difference? Read on to find out…

Yesterday all of South Australia was blacked out and parts of the state are still without grid power today. This occurred because a powerful storm damaged transmission lines and the entire state grid automatically shut down as a safety precaution to prevent more damage.

Restarting a grid after a complete shutdown is complex and requires several hours. And it took several hours for grid power to start to be restored.

There is no mystery to what happened. It is very simple:

1. There was a really big storm.
2. Transmission lines were damaged.
3. The grid shut down automatically as a safety precaution, like it should have.

If you don’t believe power lines were damaged by strong winds, here is a picture of high voltage, steel girder, transmission towers near Port Augusta.  The wind bent them over so their tops touch the ground.

This picture shows how unusual the situation was. Transmission towers do not normally lie down on the ground to take a rest.

In addition to gale force winds there were also so many lightning strikes they would have been countless if someone hadn’t counted them and tornadoes. As more detailed information is reported we will probably learn if it was lightning strikes, gale force winds, or a big willy willy that provided the straw that safety precautioned the camel’s back. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Policy Tagged With: , ,

How Residential Demand Tariffs Could Add $1000’s To Your Bill

August 16, 2016 2024-08-18T20:30:19 by 17 Comments

demand tariff

Electricity companies around Australia are starting to roll out a new way to charge you for electricity. It is called a residential demand tariff.

Unsurprisingly this new tariff can result in higher bills for you, and higher profits for them.

This post is important. It will explain to you what a demand tariff is, how it works, and why many households should avoid it at all costs.

The electricity companies want to make demand tariffs the norm, so you must be armed with the knowledge to spot one when you see one, and understand the implications of signing up for one. [Read more…]

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Origin And AGL Raise Electricity Prices In South Australia Because They Can

June 17, 2016 2017-04-18T18:07:02 by 2 Comments
greedy boss man

AGL and Origin Energy have just announced price rises in South Australia.

Australia’s two largest electricity retailers have announced they will increase prices in South Australia from the 1st of July.  Origin Energy will raise prices by 6.5% increase and AGL will raise them by around 10%. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Electricity Prices Tagged With: , ,
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